whispered.
“How can you even ask?”
“I have to know for sure.”
“Of course I trust you. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Anything?”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out something round and gray that I thought might be a wrapped box. But when he lifted it up, I saw a roll of duct tape. “Will you show me how much you trust me?”
Sharayah’s heart beat faster, wilder, overwhelmed with her feelings for Gabe. She didn’t understand this game he was playing, but she was his; mind and soul.
“Yes, Gabe. Anything,” she told him again.
“Hold out your hands.”
She felt a twinge of uncertainty, but reminded herself that this was her wonderful Gabe. She could trust him with her life. So she held out her hands.
“Thank you, my sweet love,” he murmured as he brushed his lips across hers.
Then he brought the tape to his lips, bit off a long strip and wrapped it around her wrists.
“Gabe?” Her voice warbled. “What are you doing?”
“Trust comes without questions.”
“But why wrap my hands?” The tape bit tight into her skin, hurting. “Please take it off.”
“That’s not how this goes.” A storm swept across his eyes and the loving softness of his voice tightened like the twine. “Do you still trust me?”
“Gabe, untape me now.”
“Do you still trust me?” he demanded.
“I … I … yes, I do.” She nodded, tears stinging down her windblown cheeks.
“Then you’re a fool.”
And through blurry eyes she saw him reel back with his hand as if to strike her, so she bent her head forward and butted against him. His feet slipped on the wet grass, the duct tape flew out of his hands and he slipped out of sight, over the cliff.
“Sharayah! Stop screaming! Wake up!”
“Huh?” I jerked up on the blanket, blinking bright sunshine on a crowded beach where voices blended with the gentle rushing ocean waves. Standing before me was Mauve, her pink hair dripping with salty water and sand. The cliffs, the storm and Gabe were gone.
“The ocean dream?” Mauve guessed sympathetically.
I nodded, still shaky. “It was so real.”
“It’s time you got over your fear of the ocean. Look around at everyone having fun. See, nothing terrible is happening. I won’t force you into the water, but you can at least have fun on the beach. Come on!” Mauve urged, tugging on my hand. “I met some of the cutest guys—”
“No!” I stared at her, still swept up in the horror of Gabe. “You can’t trust them! They can lie and deceive you.”
She gave me a tender look, a towel draped like beach jewelry around her slightly burned shoulders. She’d changed out of her jeans and was wearing a skimpy, neon-blue bikini under a sheer white T-shirt. “Rayah,” she said in a softer, compassion-laced tone, “it’s just a dream and it’s logical you’d have it here. But a dream can’t hurt you and doesn’t mean anything.”
“It has to mean something,” I said, feeling off-balance and a little desperate. I found myself looking down at my wrists, remembering the burn of tape but seeing only smooth, somewhat sunburned skin. “What do you know about Gabe?”
“Gabe?” She wrinkled her brow. “Who’s that?”
“You’re my roommate — don’t you know? I must have told you about him.”
Mauve’s brows spiked curiously as she shook her pink head. “You’ve talked about lots of guys, but no Gabe. Is he an old boyfriend?”
I hesitated, shivering. “You could say that.”
“If he’s old news, why do you care?”
“I don’t — it’s just he was in my dream. Are you sure you haven’t met him? Maybe I didn’t say his name. He’s older, maybe thirty, with a rugged face, thick black hair and green eyes.”
“Sounds hot, but not like anyone I know. If he shows up, introduce me … I’d love to meet him.”
“I thought you had something going with Alonzo?” I asked curiously.
“Could be. But our vacation only just started so I’m keeping my options open. I mean, just look around.” Mauve pointed down the beach to where a huge crowd was gathered. “There’s dancing and music, crazy beach games and lots of hot guys. The party won’t wait for us — so let’s go find it.”
She tugged me to my feet and this time I didn’t resist, relieved to be led away from nightmares. The brittle edges of the dream images clung to me, leaving me with a sense of fear. Something bad had happened between Sharayah and Gabe. But since Sharayah was alive without any scars, it couldn’t have been that dangerous. My subconscious must have jumbled the facts to create that horrible dream. I mean, what kind of monster would tape the hands of a girl after telling her he loved her? What was he planning to do?
That was just sick.
A lingering sense of dread dragged my mood down like a swift undertow. But I tried to shake it off. Here I was — an ordinary high school girl — getting a chance to party like a college girl. Was I going to let a stupid dream ruin everything? No way! When I returned to my real life, I’d have so much to tell Alyce. What I had to share would blow her away.
I took a deep breath of ocean air, then blew out everything negative. This seemed to center me and I felt calmer, the dream fading like fog on a sunny day.
“Rayah! Over there!” Mauve had to shout and lean close to my ear to be heard over the insane noise level. She gestured me to join her as she hurried to join a frenzied group of spring breakers partying by a beach stage.
A DJ ripped out dance music from the stage, and the crowd swayed with hands held high, some of them balancing red plastic cups. I lifted my arms too and sailed on a party wave into a throng of gyrating bodies. It was all so surreal that when some guy in a Speedo offered me a drink, I mouthed the words “thank you” and took the red cup. No one knew (or cared) that underneath this body I was underage. I sipped, puckering at the bitter taste, holding the cup like it was a prop.
As everyone danced, music seeped into my soul and I danced, too. Drinks seemed to magically refill. I sipped away my anxiety, swaying with abandon until all the bad dreams were far from my mind. I couldn’t even remember what I’d been stressing about. Something about the ocean — which was ridiculous because I loved the surf, sand, music, partiers, and cute little red cups.
Suddenly it was like — wow! I had lots of new friends! Crowds multiplied, bodies pressed closer together, laughter bubbled like exotic champagne, and I felt fan-freaking-tastic.
“Fun, huh?” Mauve whispered in my ear.
“Oh, yeah!” I raved. “The best time ever.”
She nodded, grinning as she clasped my arm, and said something that I couldn’t hear. When she tugged on my arm, I guessed she meant for me to come with her.
I kind of floated away as Mauve led me toward a line of girls. I didn’t stop to wonder why it was only girls who were lining up, or ask what we were doing here. Thinking too much only caused stress, so I shucked it all off and just gave in to the moment. Dancing, drinking and hanging with my friends. Cool.
“Your name?” A guy with a blue cap squashed down over his sleek black hair sat at a small table and looked up at me.
“Which one?” I giggled.
Mauve pushed me forward and whispered, “Answer him.”
“I can’t. It’s a secret.” I giggled. Having two names seemed hilarious, and I was really tempted to tell this nice guy my real name.
“Her name is Sharayah Rockingham,” Mauve said, rolling her eyes with annoyance as she spelled out my first
